thomson



(No Model.)

J. L. THOMSON.

sHoB CLASP. l No. 280,533. Patentedquly'e, 1883.

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I Q MA1 UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE. l

.IUDSON L. THOMSON, OF SYRACUSE, NEV YORK.

SHOE-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 280,533, dated July 3, 1883.

` Application filed November 28, 18S?. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUDsoN L. THOMSON, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Clasps, of

which the following, taken in connection with' the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

' This invention relates to that class of shoeclasps in which a tongue hinged on a plate engages with another slotted plate, and is held in two of its operative positions by a spring connected with the said tongue.

My present invention consists in certain novel, simple, convenient, and effective means of securing the spring to the plate on which the tongue is hinged, all as hereinafter more fully described and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a plan plate which carries the view of my improved shoe-clasp with the parts said shoe.

interlocked. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached inverted plan view of the plate to which the tongue is hinged. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of said plate. Fig. is a plan view of the tongue-carrying plate with the spring removed, and Fig. 6 is an edge view of the interlocking portion of v-the tongue and slotted plate, illustrating the means and mode of throwing said plate out of A its interlocked position.

inafter explain-ed, and with an eye for the re ception of a rivet or eyelet by which it is to be attached ,to one of the usual flaps of an overshoe.

B is another metal plate, adapted to be attached in any suitable .and well-knownu inanner to the opposite iiap or band of the afore- This plate B, Iform with two openings, b b, and an intermediate cross-bar, c, as best seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings, thereby obtaining a rectangular skeleton frame having two parallel side bars, n u, which I bend at or near the free end of said plate into semieireular bearings o for the pintle u of the tongue C, which is thus hinged on said plate. The hinged end of the tongue O, I form with an eccentric or cam, d, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

s, denotes a spring-plate sprung across the top of the cross-bar c, and having its extremities passing through the two openings b I), one end of said spring-plate bearing against the under side of the rear or attached end of the plate B, and the opposite end of thefspringplate pressing against the cam d of the tongue C, said spring-.plate being thus securely attached to the plate B. The under side of the tongue C is provided with a lug or hook, e, near the hinged end of said tongue, for the purpose herein presently explained.

In order to allow the plate B to be attached more rigidly and held more closely on the shoe, I provide said plate with additional side bars, a n', which may be sewed onto the flap or strap of the shoe.

'Ihe operation of my improved shoe-clasp is similar to that of others for which I have applied forLetters Patent-1?. c., in fastening the clasp the tongue O is inserted through the requisite slot cof the plate A and then swung over onto the lplate B, thereby drawing the plate A toward and upon the plate B, so as to interlock with the raised portion o o thereof. The slot a -in'the plate A, through which the tongue passes, is of sufficient length to allow the raised portions o o of the plate B to protrude through said slot, the plate A being thus left with a plain surface uniformly curved to correspond to the contour of the instep of the foot and. to invariably lie closely upon the plate with either of the slots c c in use. The

vaforesaid position of the tongue C throws the cam d thereof forward on the end of the springplate s and causes the said spring to press onto the iiat side of the cam, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, thereby imparting a downward pressure on the free end of the tongue and causing the same to securely hold the plate A down upon the plate B. In unfastening the clasp the tongue C is raised and swung toward the plate A. In this movement the lug or hook @which lies under the interlocked end of the plate A, throws said plate off the plate B, as shown in Fig. -6 of the drawings. By swinging the tongue C still further the cam (l slips rearward on the spring-plate IOO s and throws the free end ofthe tongue forward into an angle, which allows the plate A to be easily removed from the tongue.

Having described my invention, what I claim as newis l. In combination with the plate A, provided with slots a., the plate B, formed with the openings b b and intermediate cross-bar, c, the spring s, sprung over the said cross-bar and passing through the slots b b, and the tongue C, hinged on the plate B, and provided with thc cam (I, substantially as described and shown.

2. In combination with the plate A, provided with the slots a, the plate B, having openings Z) b and intermediate cross-bar, c, the spring s, passing over said cross-bar and into the slots b I), and the tongue O, hinged on plate B, and provided with the cani d and throw-oit` piece e, all constructed and combined substantially in the manner described and shown.

3. In combination with the plate A, provided with slots a, the plate B, provided with the spring s, bearings o, and side bars, n', and the tongue C, hinged on plate B and provided with the cam d, all constructed and combined substantially in the manner described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

4. The improved shoeclasp herein described, the same consisting of the plateB, formed with the openings b I), intermediate cross-bar, c, and raised portions o o, the spring-plate s, passing over said cross-bar and into the slots b b, the tongue C, hinged on raised parts o o and provided with the cam d, and the plate A, i'ornicd with a plain uniformly-curved contour to conform to the instep of the foot, and having slots c a of sufficient length to encompass the parts o o, all constructed, combined, and operating substantially in the manner described and shown.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto signed my name and affixed my seal in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this Ist day of November, 1882.

JUDSON Il. THOMSON. [L

Witnesses:

C. H. DUELL, F. H. GIBBs. 

